49ers' Jim Harbaugh relieved to shelve contract talks

SANTA CLARA -- Coach Jim Harbaugh considers it "refreshing" to table his contract talks so he and others can focus on the 49ers' upcoming season.

Part of Harbaugh's reasoning for that is to not set a precedent in terms of constantly seeking a new contract.

"I expressed that last summer when we talked about a new contract," Harbaugh said Friday. "It's just my feeling. It's just a principal, just a value.

"As the leader of the team, if you're running in for a contract extension every couple years, it has a tendency to send everybody else running for the water cooler."

CEO Jed York said Thursday that he and Harbaugh mutually agreed to wait until after this season to resume talks on extending a contract that has two years remaining.

"Isn't it refreshing?" Harbaugh asked reporters. "It has to be refreshing for you, for everybody in our building, for everybody in our fan base that the concentration will be on the 2014 season and our goals as a football team in achieving those goals. That's the "49er Way"

I subscribe too.

"As I've stated on the record the past months, the past week, that all focus is on the 2014 season and achieving our goals.

"Now the organization and I are in lockstep. All energy and all focus is on achieving our goals."